Fashion Advice
by Mayumi-san
Summary: Hevn receives an unexpected request. Set right before Episode 38 ("A Recital Just For You"). One-shot.


Disclaimer: The characters in this story are owned by Ayamine Rando and Aoki Yuya.

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The small brush was dipped into the nail polish bottle, and the excess rosy pink liquid was delicately wiped off the bottle's rim.

After a much-needed relaxing bath, Hevn sat by her bedroom dresser, golden eyes focused on the task at hand - giving herself a manicure, which was the last activity in her 'Pamper Myself' routine after a very long and tiring day.

Not a lot of people realized how hard being a mediator could actually be, she mused as she remembered the meeting - which most people would call 'intense' - that she just had that afternoon. Tensions flared halfway through the negotiations, but she - being the great mediator that she was - managed to diffuse the argument before the two parties that were involved could blow each other's heads off with weapons that she doubted they had permits for. Her looks definitely came in handy as she coaxed them - or as some would say, gave them some 'tantalizing visuals' while gently persuading them - into a peaceful compromise.

But that was all in a day's work, she said to herself as she took a deep breath and closed her eyes, letting the soft tranquil music that was playing in the background soothe her nerves. She slowly opened her eyes and had just started applying the second coat of nail polish to her left pinky finger when the quietness was interrupted by the blaring ringing sound of her cellphone.

The sudden sound made her swerve the brush, smearing a pink streak past her nail. "Oh, crap," she muttered.

The phone, which was just within reach on the dresser, continued to ring. She read the name on the call display, and her brows furrowed as she wondered what the call could be about. With the nail polish brush deftly held between her right index finger and thumb - whose nails were still in the process of drying - she very carefully pressed the 'Answer Call' button on her phone with her right pinky finger, followed by a few more buttons for it to go on speaker phone mode.

"Shido-kun?"

"Hevn-san," the familiar voice sounded from the speaker phone. Fuyuki Shido was not the type to make small talk, so he just went straight to the point. "I need your help."

Hevn's frown deepened. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, yes, I'm fine," was Shido's quick reply.

There was a long pause.

"Do you need me to contact somebody?" The mediater prodded. "A transporter, perhaps?" She resumed with applying nail polish to her pinky finger. That wayward streak could be fixed later, she thought. She then said somewhat listlessly, "Dr. Jackal's probably not your first choice, so I can try contacting Himiko."

"No, it's not that. I don't need a transporter."

There was silence, and it was then that Hevn sensed the discomfort at the other end of the line. She stopped, the tip of her nail polish brush hovering above her left ring finger. "What is it, then?"

There was no response. Finally, after what seemed like a very long time, Hevn heard a soft sigh.

"Madoka's having a recital tomorrow night."

"Uh-huh," Hevn said, encouraging him to continue.

"And I'm going to her recital."

"Uh-huh."

"And..."

Another long pause.

"And what?" Hevn, who was starting to get impatient now, asked.

Shido then blurted out, "And I don't know what to wear!"

The mediator almost burst out laughing, but managed to hold it in. Or at least, turn her blonde head away from the phone so that her snickering couldn't be heard.

Shido, who just heard silence on the other end, frowned. "Hevn-san?"

"I'm still here. Sorry. I was just..." Hevn-said, an amused smile still on her face. "I didn't expect it, that's all."

Shido could definitely hear the amusement in her voice, but decided to ignore it. He really did need her help. "So... Will you help me?"

"Of course, Shido-kun," Hevn replied. This was very interesting, she thought as she continued painting her nails. Fuyuki Shido, the Beast Master, ex-Volts king - a man that many found to be cold and distant - was asking her for fashion advice. Well, she thought as she smiled to herself. Fashion _was_ her expertise, after all. Even though Shido couldn't see her, she found herself shrugging. "Just wear what men usually wear to these events - a fancy tux."

"But there are so many kinds!" Shido burst out, surprising Hevn with his tone which almost sounded like a wail. "Single-breasted or double-breasted. Single-button lapels or two button lapels. Not to mention whether these lapels are made of satin or not. And then you have to pick out the right color vest that goes with it, as well as the tie!"

Hevn listened at Shido's outburst, the distress in his voice very much evident, and she couldn't help but find herself getting impressed that he even knew these things. He probably already started looking around.

"And then there are these..." Shido paused, as if he was trying to recall a certain word. "Cummerbunds!" He then blurted out. "What on earth are cummerbunds? Do I need cummerbunds? Why do people wear cummerbunds?"

"Calm down, Shido-kun!" Hevn interrupted. Wow, she had never heard the Beast Master... well... freak out... before. "I'm gonna help you look for a nice tux, okay? So relax." She could hear him take a deep breath.

"Thank you, Hevn-san."

The blonde smiled as she applied nail polish on her left index finger. "Tomorrow night, you say?"

"Yes. Seven o-clock at Bunkamura." (1)

Hevn could then hear some ruffling sounds, as if Shido had just shifted positions.

"And... umm..." He stammered. "You can come to the recital with me... if you want..."

The blonde frowned, puzzled at the request. Was Shido asking her out?

"I mean..." Shido continued before she could say anything. "The place would be full of rich people."

Hevn smiled, shaking her head at her own silliness. Of course that was what he meant. Even though he didn't say it out loud, she completely understood what he was asking. 'The place would be full of rich people' was Shido's way of saying that he wouldn't be comfortable there, so seeing a familiar face was probably what he needed to at least make it a little bit more bearable.

"I'm sure Madoka would love for you to come," Shido was saying.

"Yes, Shido-kun. I can go with you."

"Thank you, Hevn-san!"

"Okay, then. I can meet you tomorrow afternoon at four."

"Okay."

"I'll be setting up an appointment with a hair stylist."

"Sure, sure," Shido said, an uncaring tone in his voice. "As long as you'll be done before we meet."

"I wasn't talking about a hair stylist for me." What Hevn said made the Beast Master pause, and Hevn could almost see him frown in puzzlement.

"What're you saying?"

"Shido-kun," Hevn said patiently as she finished painting the last fingernail. "You're gonna have to lose the bandanna and tame that unruly hair."

"WHAT?" Shido roared, the shock very much evident in his voice.

"I hate to break it to you," the blonde said as she carefully put the cap back on the nail polish bottle. "But that wild boar look doesn't quite go with formal wear. If you want to look good in a tux, and I assume that you do, then your hair has to look neat. Otherwise, you'd look like you were hiding an animal in there." She frowned as she just remembered who she was talking to. "You're not hiding an animal in there, are you?"

"No," Shido answered.

"Good." Hevn held her hand up to look at her nails. Aside from that little mess on her pinky finger - which she would clean up later - her nails looked perfect, she thought with a satisfied smile. "Besides, I'm sure there will be a lot of important people there, possibly even the media. I, for one, don't want to be seen next to a roosterhead."

There was a long pause at the other end of the line.

"It's just gel, Shido-kun," Hevn cooed reassuringly. "They're not gonna cut your hair, if that's what you're worried about."

"Oh, they're not?" Shido asked, sounding very relieved.

Gently propping both her hands back down on the dresser to let her nails dry, she said, "No, if you really don't want them to." She then added as an afterthought, "Although that wouldn't be such a bad idea."

Shido ignored that last remark. "Okay, then. Where am I meeting you?"

"At the Honky Tonk."

Shido frowned. "Why there?"

"It's close to a really good tuxedo shop. We can get you dressed, and then we can easily grab a cab from there to get to the recital hall."

She was met with silence.

"The Honky Tonk is within the vicinity, so it's the best meeting place," she tried to explain.

Still silence. As a mediator, she had gotten a lot of experience trying to read what was on people's minds, so even though she couldn't see Shido's expression, her knowledge of him told her that the Beast Master's lone wolf inclination was probably kicking in. He most likely did not want the others to know more about his personal life that they already knew.

"It's not a big deal, Shido-kun," Hevn said in her sweetest mediator voice. "It's not as if you owe any of them an explanation. You don't really care that much about Mido Ban's opinion, do you?"

"Of course not," Shido hotly declared.

Hevn smiled as she heard him sigh.

"Fine," he said. "The Honky Tonk, it is."

"Shido-kun?"

"Hmmm?"

"I'm honored that you came to me for help."

Shido muttered, "It's not like I have a lot of options."

"What was that?"

"Nothing." He sighed again. "I really do appreciate this, Hevn-san. I can mimic a hundred beasts, but mimicking rich people is a little bit out of my league."

Sensing the tightness in his voice, she chuckled. "Don't worry, Shido-kun. I'm gonna make sure you look dashing." She smiled in satisfaction as she heard a soft sound on the other end of the line that could only be Shido's version of a chuckle.

"Thank you, Hevn-san."

"You're welcome." After a brief pause, she then said softly, "I'm sure she appreciates this, Shido."

There was silence on the line once again. Finally, Shido said, "I sure hope so." And with a quiet voice, he added, "I just want her to be happy."

Considering how cold the Beast Master appeared to be, that was probably the closest he got to telling somebody how he really felt about the violinist. Hevn's golden eyes softened as she looked directly at the screen of her cellphone as if it was Shido's eyes. "I'm sure she already is," she said with earnestness.

Shido said nothing.

The silence was starting to get uncomfortable, so the blonde decided to break it with, "Especially after you sweep her off her feet tomorrow night. A big kiss right after the performance would be just perfect!"

"Shut up," was Shido's sharp reply. "I'll see you tomorrow afternoon at the Honky Tonk at four."

"Okay, then," Hevn said with a chuckle. "See you!"

The call ended, and Hevn smiled as she imagined Shido blush at her teasing. She had to admit that it was a little hard to imagine the usually stone-faced Beast Master blushing like a schoolboy. The most reaction she could probably get out of him would be embarrassed fluster. Well, she thought to herself. That would still be interesting to see, and she had tomorrow to see it. She chuckled again. The Beast Master was in for some major teasing.

She carefully put her nail polish away and stood up to walk across her bedroom, stopping in front of her closet. Making sure not to disturb her drying nails, she slowly opened the closet door and let her golden eyes move across the various items of clothing - most of which emphasized her assets, of course - that draped down the coordinated hangers. As her gaze landed on the section where her long evening dresses are, she pursed her lips, pressing her index finger lightly against her chin as she asked the question that most women ask when they stand in front of their opened closets.

"Now, what should I wear?"

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A/N: And so Episode 38 begins the next day. Just to refresh your memory, this is the episode that starts out at the Honky Tonk, with Ginji just losing a bet with Natsumi, the consequence of which is that he and Ban both have to do the dishes. Shido walks in, has his usual verbal spat with Ban, before Hevn arrives looking all glammed up. And I think you all know how the story goes after that.

This story came to me in the middle of the night. I'm not exactly sure how. I think I just started wondering how that arrangement (with Hevn helping Shido with shopping) came about. Considering Shido's independent and introverted nature, he must've been a little desperate to even ask for help. I think it's pretty sweet of him to go through all this for Madoka :)

Btw, I curiously browsed through this site to see how many fanfics there are about Hevn. There's not much. And ALL of them fall under either of these categories: Romance, or Humor, or both. So, since Hevn Friendship fics hasn't been done before, I thought this would be interesting.

As always, feedback is well-appreciated :)

(1) Bunkamura is a theatre and concert hall complex in Shibuya. I really don't know where Madoka's recital was held in that episode. This is just a guess.


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